1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cracking the husks of nuts, particularly the husks of macadamia nuts without breaking their shells.
2. Description of the Related Arts
FIG. 7 shows a conventional apparatus for cracking the husks of nuts as comprising a cylindrical rotor 1 having a plurality of blades 2 projected on its circumference and a guide trough 3 positioned above the cylindrical rotor 1 with its open side against the cylindrical rotor 1. The cylindrical rotor 1 and the overlying trough 3 are parallel to each other, and they are somewhat inclined with respect to the horizontal. In operation the cylindrical rotor 1 is rotated, and then nuts 4 are put in the inclined space between the guide trough 3 and the cylindrical rotor 1 so that their husks 5 are cracked by the blades of the rotating cylinder 1 while descending in the inclined space.
Such conventional nutcracker cannot crack nuts of different sizes simultaneously. Also, disadvantageously it cannot crack a lot of nuts at one time, since nuts are travelling in a single line in the inclined space between the trough and the cylinder.